The Echoes of Excellence Collection

(c. 1520–c. 1561)
Groundbreaking Renaissance composer whose innovations reshaped polyphonic music.

A Black Portuguese priest and theorist, Vicente Lusitano authored one of the most influential treatises of the Renaissance. His bold harmonic explorations and polyphonic techniques were centuries ahead of their time. Long omitted from mainstream music histories, Lusitano’s work is now recognized as foundational to the evolution of Western music.

(1745–1799)
Composer, conductor, and luminary of the 18th-century Parisian stage.

A virtuoso violinist, champion fencer, and influential composer, Saint-Georges shaped French musical life at a pivotal time in history. As conductor of Paris’s leading orchestra and a celebrated cultural figure, his work anticipated musical movements that others would later be credited for. His story exemplifies artistic excellence eclipsed by centuries of bias.

(1778–1860)
Virtuoso violinist whose brilliance inspired works lost to time

A prodigious Afro-European violinist, Bridgetower performed across the courts of Europe and premiered Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9. Originally dedicated to him, the work’s attribution was later changed — a symbolic erasure that reflects a lifetime of brilliance overshadowed. His rediscovered legacy reveals a musician of extraordinary talent whose contributions shaped classical repertoire.

(1887–1953)
Trailblazing American composer whose symphonies transformed musical history.

The first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra, Price blended European traditions with African American musical language. Many of her manuscripts were believed lost until a 2009 attic discovery revealed a vast body of extraordinary work. Today, her restored catalog is reshaping the classical canon.

(1914–1983)
Trailblazing pianist who became a global sensation across genres.

Born in Trinidad and trained in classical piano, Winifred Atwell became one of the best-selling instrumentalists of the 1950s. Her virtuosic style blended classical performance with boogie-woogie brilliance, captivating audiences across Britain, Australia, and beyond. Despite her commercial success, her classical training and compositions were often overlooked — a gap this collection seeks to correct.